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85 gr 6mm Sierra Gameking
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Picture of Karoo
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Does anyone have any experience with this bullet?
I am considering it for my 6x45 to shoot small antelope.
I like that they are inexpensive too as it will double for some varminting.
How about accuracy? Reviewers at Midway rave about it.
My Sako 6x45 shoots 85 Sierra Varmint bullets and 85 Partitions well, but not the 80 gr Speer for some reason.
Twist 1:10. Thanks
 
Posts: 787 | Location: Eastern Cape, South Africa | Registered: 24 December 2006Reply With Quote
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I can't give you much on the 6X45 but I have used the 85gr Gameking and found it to be one of the most accurate bullets in my 6mm Rem. I used it one year for Whitetail deer and it did its job without question. I shot a big doe (130lb) at close range 20 yds and had full penetration. Dropped her after one jump.
 
Posts: 1111 | Location: Edmond,OK | Registered: 14 March 2001Reply With Quote
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I don't consider 130lb to be a big doe but I am impressed that you got a complete pass through with that bullet. I would have more confidence with the 100 grainers.

The 6x45 would be getting several 100 fps less than the 6mm Rem. so I can see the desire to find a lighter bullet. My recomendation is to try a monolithic such as the Barnes TSX or Hornady GMX. These offer lighter weight with penetrating power and would be a good match up for a light powered caliber such as the 6x45. Hornady has the 80 grain tipped GMX and Barnes has an 85 grain BT


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Posts: 480 | Registered: 03 September 2010Reply With Quote
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I have shot these in my .243 for awhile now. I have shot deer and coyotes with no problems. I did not get the full penetration of a premium bullet, but it kills well.
 
Posts: 135 | Location: sw kansas | Registered: 25 April 2008Reply With Quote
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I used to use the 85 grain .243" bore and the 90 grain .257" bore Sierra BTHPs for deer, but stopped when I had 4 bullet failures. The bullets came apart on impact and tore a dinner-plate size piece of hide and flesh off the rib cage without penetrating through the rib cage and into the pleural cavity. They are great varmint bullets, if you don't care about the pelt, but I'm using tougher bullet for medium game. They are very accurate bullets, but a little too fragile for my tastes.

As with many things, YMMV.

Jeff
 
Posts: 993 | Location: Omaha, NE, USA | Registered: 11 May 2005Reply With Quote
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Picture of Karoo
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quote:
My recomendation is to try a monolithic such as the Barnes TSX or Hornady GMX

Thanks for the tips and experiences.
I don't believe that I need a particularly tough bullet (expensive too) as this one will be going at probably max 2850 fps compared to well into the 3000's for a .243 Win or 6mm Remington.
Surely at those velocities on a 80 lb antelope it will work?
I also really like the price of these: $22.49/ 100.
 
Posts: 787 | Location: Eastern Cape, South Africa | Registered: 24 December 2006Reply With Quote
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My opinion would be that the lessor velocity of the 6x45 would keep the 85 gr from blowing up. I have a 6x47 and a 6 TCU. I never got the 80 gr Speer to group particularly well for me either. I am getting great accuracy from the 80 gr Hornady SSP. I hope to use this bullet in my TCU to pop a Javelina in 2 weeks. Velocity for me in the TCU is 2740 with that bullet.


EDIT---

I think you're looking at around 2600 +/- a few for the 85 gr in the 6x45. My TCU is basically an "AI" version of your 6x45, and my barrel is 20".


Si tantum EGO eram dimidium ut bonus ut EGO memor
 
Posts: 1147 | Location: Bismarck, ND | Registered: 31 August 2006Reply With Quote
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Slowpoke,
My barrel is 24" and I would hope for at least 2750 or 2800 fps which is what Hodgdon's website predicts http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp
I cannot find the Hornady SSP 80 grainer that you mention. Is it a hunting bullet?
Thanks for the input.
 
Posts: 787 | Location: Eastern Cape, South Africa | Registered: 24 December 2006Reply With Quote
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Karoo,
I've been useing 80 grn Rem in a 6MM TCU at about 2950 on deer. It gives pass through on broadside, or will stop under the skin if it breaks a shoulder. I'll send you some if you want to try them, I bought a thousand of them and only use them for hunting!
 
Posts: 7398 | Registered: 10 April 2009Reply With Quote
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I killed a good-sized buck mule deer last year with the 85gr Sierra GameKing out of my Sako Mod 75 243 Hunter. Bang.. flop on the spot. The buck weighed 270lbs on the hoof.
 
Posts: 128 | Location: Rio Arriba County, NM | Registered: 27 April 2003Reply With Quote
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theback, thanks for the kind offer, but I do still have some 8o gr Speers in stock. A real pity that I could not get them to shoot as they would have been the ideal weight and price that I was looking for.
 
Posts: 787 | Location: Eastern Cape, South Africa | Registered: 24 December 2006Reply With Quote
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Karoo,
So you think it's the weight of bullet, not the bullet itself causeing accuracy problems???
 
Posts: 7398 | Registered: 10 April 2009Reply With Quote
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No, it could be the bullet itself as 85 grainers shoot well. I also have a promising load with a locally made 70 grain bullet, the Capstan.
I see that I misread your post and had to go and look up Remington's 80 grain bullet. It looks similar to Speer's, so do you think there is a difference in accuracy? Others seem to have battled with the Speer bullet too.
 
Posts: 787 | Location: Eastern Cape, South Africa | Registered: 24 December 2006Reply With Quote
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I dont use alot of speer bullets, I have had pressure issues with some of their bullets, meaning pressure signs long before reaching velocity of other bullets ( brands) in the same weight.
 
Posts: 7398 | Registered: 10 April 2009Reply With Quote
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I have shot a pretty good bunch of deer with the Sierra 85 HPBT as well as dogs, yotes, fox, and many, many beavers. I have never had a "failure" although I have recovered alot of them. They almost always look like the perfect mushroom and retain about 45-50 grains. I have also recovered quite a few Scirroccos, Partitions, and X bullets. At your 2000 to 2500 fps impact velocities you are only going to get so much penetration, but the Sierra will be plenty tough enough for antalopers. They will hold to impact velocities in the 32s.
 
Posts: 849 | Location: MN | Registered: 11 March 2009Reply With Quote
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Karoo,

I would approach that velocity carefully, I think you will be up right up there pressure wise running that 85 gr above 2700 fps. Case capacity will be a factor. I'm using Lapua brass myself.

The Hornady SSP is a hunting bullet. It was made for Single Shot Pistols (SSP), and designed to open at slower velocities than most 6mm bullets. Most of the 6mm rifle bullets have the 243 Win and 6mm Rem in mind.

Sadly the SSP is no longer made. I recommended it before I realized where you were located. You can still find some of these bullets around in the states. I have a small stash of them myself. I don't think you could expect to find any in S.A., but I'm not sure about that.

If it wasn't for the import/export/shipping headaches, I'd send you 50 or so to try out for yourself.

Sierra also used to make a single shot pistol bullet. I've never tried it, but more knowledgeable members than me (Bobby T- for example) preferred the Sierra to the Hornady.

Not sure if they're available to you or not, but you might also try the Nosler 85 gr ballistic tip in your 6x45. It will behave much like a big game bullet at the lower velocity of the x45.


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Posts: 1147 | Location: Bismarck, ND | Registered: 31 August 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Does anyone have any experience with this bullet?

Yes, lots. I use this bullet almost exclusively now in my .243 Win. and that on game up to the size of Fallow Deer. I've never had an issue with this combination.

Like yourself I was using the 85 gr. Nosler Partitions but found the Sierra offered similar perfomance at reduced cost.


Cheers,

Number 10
 
Posts: 3433 | Location: Frankfurt, Germany | Registered: 23 December 2004Reply With Quote
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